hockey injury

The unbearable happened a week ago and Monet fell down the stairs at the hockey rink while the big boys were skating and had to get stitches. In her words she said, "I rolled down the stairs." From what I got out of her (I wasn't close by - still feeing guilty about that), she was trying to jump over a garbage can that was in her way. It was so sad to see her cute little chin bleeding profusely, but by the end of the night I think I was the one more shocked and tired from the event.

I was amazed at how tough this little girl is! Initially she was crying, of course, but as soon as we got some paper towels put on the cut she stopped. Then we had to run back and forth from emergency in Raymond to the clinic in Raymond, as there were no doctors present at the hospital. She barely even flinched as they washed the cut and then put freezing on it. A few hours later she was stitched up and ready to go home. I still had Thad with us this whole time, so he was losing it by this point, but she was happy as a clam. When we went back a week later to get the stitches out at the clinic, she was more upset we weren't back at the ER so that she could watch TV than she was about the incident itself initially.

Monet is now a Sunbeam and loving it. She has grown maybe two inches since the end of summer. All her pants are short. I keep meaning to put them away, but after I wash them she always gets a hold of them and continues to be ready for floods throughout the winter. She has stopped cutting her own hair and the bangs she gave herself in the summer have almost grown out.


When we do family scripture reading, Monet ALWAYS wants to go first. This is really important to her. If she doesn't get her way, the entire time is spent with us listening to her scream. She has recently gotten to the point of saying her own prayers. They are very cute prayers, she loves to say family prayers, but oddly, asks me to leave when she says her own prayers. Monet is in Joyschool and loves it. She takes school very seriously. She loves My Little Ponies and Dora and Diego. Barbies aren't too exciting for her, and she has a bunch of dress up clothes that her friends get into when they come over but she never touches. She does loves dress up shoes, though, and has mentioned how much she loves her Cinderella slippers she got from Santa more than once. She goes to sleep in our bed every night reading stories and often sneaks back into our room in the middle of the night. I can't sleep with her in bed cause I am too uncomfortable, and she is happy to sleep on the floor as a compromise. Monet is full of spunk and smiles and tantrums. She is, as she loves to put it, one in a million.

on my mind

I had my routine ultrasound done mid December and I really didn't think much of it. I haven't had Josh go with me to these appointments since Levi. But when I got to my doctor's visit next, I was surprised to hear that there were some concerns with the baby and they needed an additional ultrasound in Calgary to get more information. They had found some edema on the skin as my doctor put it.

I wasn't too concerned; the doctor didn't seem to be. But when Calgary called back and booked me first thing the following Monday, I thought, yikes, maybe this might be a big deal. I was strong and didn't google anything and kept my thoughts from worrying and wandering. Then my dear mother decided to google what they saw on the ultrasound, and found out that what I had was a marker for Down's Syndrome. When I learned that, I can honestly say that it wasn't really a big deal to me. I was happy the baby had a full heart and lungs etc. So then I googled it, and learned way to much info, and that swelling on the skin can mean a whole boat load of complications and birth defects. Reading up on it, several of these women were encouraged to have abortions by their family members or doctors for the complications that my ultrasound was flagged for. Without getting into gruesome detail, some of these mothers were told horrifying stories of the suffering their babies would endure upon birth.

So I drove up to Calgary and Monday morning my sister came with me and got to see her first ultrasound. At this point I still wasn't too worried. When the tech came back the second time to get more pictures, I really started to worry. Then we had to wait and wait for the doctor to come and give us the results. Blah! Did I ever feel ill. But he came in and gave us the great news that he could see no complications or markers or anything at all on the ultrasound. He said that what was there the week before either cleared up on its own or was never there to begin with.

So I felt thankful, and guilty. Not everyone going into that maternal ultrasound clinic that day was going to receive such great news. But I also felt sort of indifferent. I had accepted my baby the way he/she is. I was praying for strength to have the capacity to deal with whatever lay ahead, not for the baby to be perfect and healthy. So now I felt guilty not only for receiving the good news, but also for not being properly grateful for it. It was a very emotional week sorting out my feelings. I feel so blessed to have the guidance and reassurance of the Holy Ghost in my life so that when things aren't going the "right" way, that I can still feel peace and love coming from my Heavenly Father.

thad

Thad is growing like a weed. He is just too cute and I am afraid that the kids have asked me more than once, "Why is Thad your favorite?" I sort of feel bad but I reply that this is how I feel about all babies and that I was this nice to them when they were babies, too. I tell them that just cause I make them do chores doesn't mean I don't love them (actually, I tell them the opposite is true, the more I love them the more I get them to clean....), and I also say I am always nice to Thad cause he never says anything to me with attitude and is never rude to me. What no one else gets just yet is that they have no need to feel jealousy towards this baby brother. 'Cause in just 4 short months, he, too, will be booted into big kid territory, and there will be 4 kids to clean and do chores while I change newborn diapers.

I don't really think that they are jealous. And I do think I could improve on my patience with the older children out of fairness to all.

Here are Thad's words that he is saying at 18 months.
cracker
Dada
Ma
ball (ba)
bath (ba)
thank you (ga goo)
love you (la lou)
car
poopoo
moo
puppy
ruff
bye
n'night
milk

I am always amazed at how babies, even though they can't say much, they can certainly understand a lot. For instance, I can tell Thad to take his sippy cup and go give it to Daddy and he will get you milk. And he does.

He also will go and open the fridge and just pull out the milk himself. He is a milk junkie and I am trying to subdue that the best I can.

Other Thad highlights:
- he pulled the Christmas tree over onto himself this year. Screamed like a banshee and didn't go near the thing again. Lesson learned.
- he now goes to nursery!
- he gives kisses when he is supposed to say sorry. it. is. so. cute. I almost want him to hit me so I can get one of those little kisses.
-he loves baths, balls, canned fruit, Daddy, and hockey sticks

middle syndrome

Enoch is such a delight when he wants to be. I can also say the opposite is true.

After having a very difficult day last Friday, he and I ended the day together by making no-bake cookies, playing Sorry, and watching Anne of Green Gables together. It was so cute to see him hide under the covers because Diana Barry was about to drink alcohol! He was shocked enough to almost make me question my choice in movies.

Some things about Enoch that I want to remember lately are:
- He made 3 New Year's resolutions in school, they are to 1) be a better basketball player, 2) skate more, and 3) to eat more food. And he has really been following up on that last one there, he has been a much better eater around the house all of a sudden.
- Recently Enoch was kid of the week in school. This is what we all learned about his favorites:
Food- Mandoo
Subject- Science
Color- Purple
Book- Chapter Books
TV show- Garfield
Movie- Avengers
Animal- Cheetah
Sport- Basketball
Game- Starwars
Treat- Rockets
-We also learned that Enoch wants to grow up and be a science teacher. What a great choice!
- At church last week, Enoch quietly asked Daddy for some of the candy in his pockets. Josh replied, "How did you know that I have candy in my pockets?" Enoch answered, "Well, NOW I know that you have candy in your pockets."
- At the dinner table the other night, Enoch was sitting by Thad and was not being the best example of proper table etiquette. I told him kindly that he needed to be an example to his little brother if he wanted to sit by him. His instant retort was, "OK, Mom, I'll be an example. A bad example."

Enoch really is awesome, and if I am really honest, probably a little too smart for his or my own good. I hope I can match wits with him when he is a teenager.